22nd Sunday C

22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time C

Readings: Sirach 3:17‑18, 20, 28‑29  Hebrews 12:18‑19, 22‑24       

Luke 14:1,7‑14

"God in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor."   The refrain for this Sunday's psalm (Ps 68) reminds us that God's kingdom challenges and subverts the worldly values of prestige, power, wealth, and physical perfection.  As followers of Jesus, we are called to imitate God who "gives a home to the forsaken" and "leads forth prisoners to prosperity" (Ps 68:7).

The reading from the Book of Sirach is a series of sayings exhorting us to be humble and give alms.  Such a life is not based on a shrewd calculation of how to succeed in the world but on a truthful acknowledgment of how we stand before God.  In a line omitted from our reading we are reminded, "For great is the power of God;/ by the humble he is glorified" (Sir  3:19).  Recognition of our utter dependence upon God's graciousness frees us from a frantic searching "into things beyond (our) strength" and makes us generous sharers of our wealth through the giving of alms.

The second reading completes the selections from Hebrews with a striking contrast between the assembly gathered on Mount Sinai to seal the old covenant and "the assembly of the first‑born enrolled in heaven" to partake in the new covenant mediated by Jesus' blood.  As the author of Hebrews loves to do, the old covenant is understood as frightening, inaccessible, and incomplete.  Sinai is described as "an untouchable mountain" with "a blazing fire, and gloomy darkness and storm and trumpet blast."  The Israelites were terrified when they heard God's voice speaking words, and "they begged that they be not addressed to them."  In contrast, Christian believers are reminded that they have drawn near to an assembly which joyfully experiences the very presence of God.   The heavenly assembly is described as "Mount Zion," "the city of the living God," "the heavenly Jerusalem," filled with "myriads of angels in festal gathering."  Although they are still pilgrims in this world, Christian believers have already approached "God the judge of all," "the spirits of the just made perfect," and "Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant."

In the Gospel from Luke Jesus uses the occasion of a Sabbath  meal in the home of a leading Pharisee to challenge the protocol and hypocritical pecking order of aristocratic society.  To the guests, who are pushing and shoving to get the places of honor at the table, Jesus commands “go and sit in the lowest place” less they be embarrassed when “some greater dignitary” arrives and they must shamefacedly give up their seat of honor and go and sit  in the lowest place.  Jesus' humorous example of an embarrassing reversal of seats at a banquet is more than a piece of worldly table etiquette.  He is shocking the guests into realizing that God's rule subverts their own deeply ingrained social standards, and therefore he concludes by saying, “For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.”

Jesus' admonition to the host is even more shocking.  Rather than invite as guests wealthy relatives and friends who will  return the favor, the host is commanded to invite beggars and the  disabled, the very ones excluded from aristocratic society and Temple worship (see Lev 21:16‑23). 

In the parable which follows today's reading (Lk 14:15‑24),  Jesus goes on to describe the messianic banquet as a feast where the rich invited guests exclude themselves by failing to accept the invitation.  They are replaced by the poor and disabled when the angry master orders his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.”  When there is still room, he commands his servant, “Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled.” Those of us who assume that God values our standards of power, wealth and physical perfection would do well to listen to the master's harsh rejection of the wealthy invited guests: ". . . I tell you none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner."

21st Sunday C

21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time C

Readings: Isaiah 66:18‑21  Hebrews 12:5‑7,11‑13  Luke 13:22‑30

We are all capable of being narrow and parochial in our religious attitudes toward "outsiders."  This Sunday's readings challenge us to be open to the universality of God's plan for salvation.  Let us take to heart the lyrics of our psalm: "Praise the Lord, all you nations;/ glorify him, all you peoples" (Ps  117:1).

Our first reading is from the conclusion of the entire book of the prophet Isaiah.  It is taken from the portion that scholars call Third Isaiah which was probably written in the late sixth century B.C. after the Jewish exiles had returned to Jerusalem but before they had rebuilt the temple.  This prophet, in contrast to some of his elitist fellow Judeans, announces that after the purification of Jerusalem, Jewish survivors will be sent by God to the nations and distant coastlands to proclaim his glory to those who "have never heard of (God's) fame."  In God's name, the prophet proclaims: “They shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the Lord/ . . . to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the Lord,/ just as the Israelites bring their offering to the house of the Lord in clean vessels.” He even dares to announce in God's name: "Some of these (the nations) I will take as priests and Levites, says the Lord."

The reading from Hebrews continues directly from last week's section in which Jesus, who endured the cross, is presented to us as our model for persevering "in running the race" of faith.   Using a quotation from Proverbs 3:11‑12, the author reminds us that the Lord disciplines those whom he loves.  The trials we meet in being faithful Christians should be understood as the loving discipline of our Father.  In the language of the Hellenistic philosophy of the day, the author uses an athletic metaphor to conclude his exhortation.  “Make straight the paths you walk on, that your halting limbs may not be dislocated but healed."

In the Gospel from Luke Jesus continues his journey to Jerusalem and warns the crowds that entrance into the messianic banquet is difficult.  Someone in the crowd asks, "Lord, are they few in number who are to be saved?"  Rather than answer directly, Jesus responds with a series of parabolic warnings, using the image of the door.  First of all he replies, “Try to come in through the narrow door.  Many, I tell you will try to enter and be unable.”  Entrance into the kingdom does not comply with the common standards of the world.  Then, changing the door image, he warns that some may be too late in responding to the call of the kingdom. "When once the master of the house has risen to lock the door and you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Sir, open for us,' he will say in reply, `I do not know where you come from.'  Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your company. You taught in our streets.'  But he will answer, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from.  Away from me you evildoers!'"  Entrance into the messianic banquet calls for a radical change of heart; mere social contact with Jesus is not enough.  

Finally, Jesus warns the crowd that they may be rejected from the final messianic feast and replaced by the Gentiles. “And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. People will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and will take their  place at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Jesus concludes by asserting that God's kingdom overturns our worldly standards: “Some who are last will be first and some who are first will be last.”  When we are comfortable with our secure status in the world, Jesus’ warning overturns our smug self-confidence.